Notes

Christmas is swiftly approaching and we all want to look our best. Just like with your body, you have to take care of your suit the entire year round, in order for it to look great on important occasions. Here are my main tips for properly caring for a suit - and making it last.

1. Give it a rest

Unlike your trusted pair of jeans, a suit can’t be worn daily for months and months on end. Its fibers need some recovery time after each wear. On top of that, not wearing your suit daily keeps it clean longer, allowing for more time between visits to the dry-cleaner. Do you need (or want) to wear a suit daily? Think of investing in an additional suit (great for more style options, too!).

2. Brushing, airing, spot cleaning

Make sure to brush your suit after each wear. It will rid your suit of hairs, dandruff and dirt that it might collect over the course of a day. At the end of the day, hang your suit on a butler stand or an appropriately shaped coat hanger. Airing it out like this will eliminate any odors and dry out trapped moisture. Did your suit become noticeably stained? Use non-scented baby wipes or a towel and a bit of water for cleaning the stains.

3. Use a steamer

Your suit will get wrinkled after wearing it, but don’t even think of ironing it! A hot iron can damage a suit’s fibers. Instead of an iron, use a steamer to straighten wrinkles and rid your suit of unpleasant smells. Make sure to set the steam to the lowest heat setting.

4. Cover it up

Store your suit in a cloth garment bag and not a plastic one: a plastic bag doesn’t allow the suit to breathe and can tear easily. Additionally, use a cloth cover which allows air still circulate through the suit even when its being stored.

5. Dry clean your suit before storing it for the season

Pay a visit to your trusted dry cleaner after the winter is over: your wool suit won’t be of much use for summer events. Also, lingering stains and odors make your suit attractive to moths and other insects. Having your suit dry-cleaned a few times a year is more than enough – more than this might damage it.

Bonus tip: hang your suits and dress shirts on cedar wood hangers.

The cedar acts as a repellent for moths and absorbs moisture. Also, unlike wire hangers, these thicker wooden hangers will not stretch out clothing.

Till next time, Your Tailor